Trump Admin Backtracks on Sudden Green Card, Citizenship Form Changes
March 10, 2025
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The Trump administration has now allowed immigrants and their attorneys extra time to use new forms, after an abrupt change put applications in jeopardy last week.
At least nine forms were updated to honor executive orders signed by President Donald Trump, but without the usual grace period to avoid confusion. After a lawsuit was filed Friday, that grace period has been put in place.
Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) for further comment Monday afternoon via email.
Why It Matters
The form changes, which affected those applying for permanent residency and citizenship, potentially affected hundreds, if not thousands, of immigrants who had filed applications in the days leading up to March 3, when the new form originally took effect. If applicants use an outdated version of a form, they could see delays or denial.
An application form for U.S. Citizenship in 2018. USCIS updated this form and others in a sudden move on March 3, 2025. An application form for U.S. Citizenship in 2018. USCIS updated this form and others in a sudden move on March 3, 2025. Getty Images
What To Know
As Newsweek reported last Tuesday, immigration attorneys were left baffled by the sudden updated forms, dated as January 20, 2025, because of the lack of notice to prepare their clients and ensure correct processing.
The forms saw slight alterations to reflect Trump’s executive orders signed on inauguration day and in the days after, including only recognizing two genders—male and female, as assigned at birth—as well as using the term “alien” when referring to immigrants, instead of Biden-era “noncitizen” or “foreign nationals”.
Attorneys told Newsweek that USCIS was creating “administrative chaos”, while the agency said it was applicants’ responsibility to file the correct form.
The forms affected were:
I-485 Adjustment of Status – Used by those applying for permanent residency
I-485 Supplement A – Offering additional information
I-485 Supplement J – Confirmation of valid job offer or request for job portability
I-134 Declaration of financial support
I-192 Application for advanced permission to enter as a nonimmigrant
G-325A Biographic information
I-918 Petition for U nonimmigrant status
I-131 Application for travel documents, parole documents and arrival/departure records
N-400 Application for naturalization – For those applying for citizenship
On Friday, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and Benach Collopy, LLP, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia, suing the Trump administration over the abrupt change after USCIS gave them no indication it would offer a grace period.
On Saturday, those nine forms pages were updated with new grace periods, of 30 days or more. This pushed the requirement to use the new January 20 edition until at least early April.
What People Are Saying
Jennifer Coberly, benefits litigation attorney at AILA, told Newsweek: “It is not a coincidence that the USCIS updated its website with 30-day (or longer) grace periods for certain forms late last week within 24 hours of Plaintiffs filing their complaint regarding the USCIS’s shocking failure to provide a grace period for multiple immigration forms.
“Plaintiffs are continuing to closely monitor the USCIS’s adherence to the Administrative Procedure Act’s notice requirements as it continues to update forms. We are optimistic that the litigation will be resolved in the near future.”
What’s Next
USCIS said on its website that applicants can use former or updated forms until their specific, new grace periods end.
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